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Utopia of the Seas vs Norwegian Sun
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas is a fairly new ship, being built in 2024. The Utopia of the Seas is the first Oasis-class ship to run on LNG, a cleaner burning fuel. It's 23 years newer than the Sun, which was built in 2001 and renovated in 2018. The Norwegian Sun will leave the fleet in 2027.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Utopia of the Seas is considered an extra large ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 211 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4 tractor-trailers, and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Sun, the Utopia of the Seas is 202% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas holds more than double the number of people as the Sun based on double occupancy (two people per room). At full capacity, the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas holds more than double the number of people as the Sun.
When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Utopia of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Sun.
The Utopia of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | Sun |
| Gross Tonnage | 236,860 | 78,309 |
| Length | 1,188 | 848 |
| Beam/Width | 211 | 123 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 8 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,668 | 1,878 |
| Passengers (maximum occupancy) | 6,988 | 2,323 |
| Crew | 2,290 | 906 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 34 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Utopia of the Seas has twenty-four different dining options like Chops Grille, Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, and The Mason Jar. Of those options, fifteen are complimentary, or included with your cruise fare. The other fifteen options have an additional fee.
The Sun has eleven fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, Moderno Churrascaria, and The Great Outdoors. Ten of these restaurants are complimentary and the other ten have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Utopia of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 85% more dining options than the Sun.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Utopia of the Seas might be a better choice than the Sun. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 24 | 13 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 15 | 10 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 15 | 10 |
| % of Included Options | 38% | 23% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has 9 more bars than the Norwegian Sun. The Utopia of the Seas has 19 bars like Casino Bar, Suite Lounge and Wipeout Bar. On Sun, you can grab a drink at 10 different bars such as Casino Bar, Sports Bar and The Champagne Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Cantina Fresca • Casino Bar • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • Music Hall • Pesky Parrot • Playmakers • Rising Tide Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Spotlight Karaoke • Suite Lounge • The Attic • The Lime & Coconut • The Mason Jar • The Vue Bar • Trellis Bar • Wipeout Bar | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Champs Bar • Great Outdoors Cafe • Spinnaker Lounge • Sports Bar • The Champagne Bar • Topside Bar • Windjammer Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-Cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barq's Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out the recent bar menus for the Utopia of the Seas and the Sun below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas has a total of 5 pools and 7 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Norwegian Sun has fewer pools than the Utopia of the Seas and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Sun. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and three of the hot tubs are adults only on Utopia of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 7 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 3 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 2 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Utopia of the Seas, 84% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Sun, only 50% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kid's Play Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Laser Tag | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically, newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Sun.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests may also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically, guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas | Norwegian Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.49 See drink menus | $9.99 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | $28.50 - $32 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the Free at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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